


There's a Fire In Her Eyes

by Melodywing



Category: Undertale, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Growth, Corruption, Death, Depression, F/M, Family, Fire, Friendship, Hyena OC's, Leadership, Magic, Metaphors, Monarchies, Monster Mages, Multi, One-Sided Attraction, Origin Story, Origin of Fighting and Defensive Magic, Original Character(s), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pyrophobia, Racism, Similes, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Traditions, heritage, weasel monster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:09:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23082256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melodywing/pseuds/Melodywing
Summary: After the monsters lose the battle, the king's two lines of defense, the royal guard and the Soul Mages are left to pick up the pieces. But, as changes arise and tensions between the two groups build, will the mages be able to withstand the heat and stress of a recovering underground, or will they fall and burn in the flames of despair?This story will mainly focus on the life and heritage of the soul mages, a group of monsters endowed with powerful soul-based protection and attack magic. Canon characters will show up in MUCH later chapters, and I will be attempting to follow the canon of Undertale to the best of my ability.One last note: This is the story of my Undertale OC. She is NOT a skeleton - I wanted to have an OC that had a very unique appearance and she was what I ended up with. She will show up further into the book, but other things must be established before you get to meet her.
Relationships: Asgore Dreemurr & Toriel, Asgore Dreemurr/Toriel, OC/OC, Papyrus (Undertale)/Original Character(s), Papyrus (Undertale)/Original Female Character(s), Papyrus/Original Undertale Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. A New World

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! Welcome to my story! I'm super excited to introduce you to my characters, but before our tale begins, I'd like to give you a bit of information.
> 
> I will not be giving trigger warnings. This is not because I want to trigger somebody, but because I do not want to spoil anything that happens in any chapter. There is no and will not be any self-harm in this book. I listed what will be in this book in my tags, so I'm hoping that people are aware that things that may be disturbing or shocking to people will occur when they choose to read this story. I wish no harm on ANYBODY, and if you feel that this story will not be for you, then I suggest that you find another to read.
> 
> Each of the soul mage's names in this story - barring that of my main OC's name - are derived from words from different languages! I will give you their meanings, here.
> 
> "Hatchala" is the Hebrew word for "start"
> 
> "Chaya" is the Hebrew word for "Life" and is actually the female iteration of "Chaim"

A white flash blinded the monsters, their eyes squinted, many of them shielding themselves using their arms or other arm-like appendages. The sound of small grains of glass falling and brushing against one another rang out followed by what seemed to be a rainbow quickly gliding across the glowing whiteness like a light reflecting off water. Slowly, the blinding wall of magic faded to reveal a hall of blue and white light. A monster covered head to toe in metal armor sprinted to the hall only to bounce back, suddenly. It was not a hall, but a wall that gave the illusion of being a hall.  
  
“No,” the armored monster paused, looking at his gauntlets. Slowly, he curled them into fists and raised them above his head. “NOO!” He slammed his fists into the magical force field repeatedly, the blows doing little more than causing watery ripples to float from where his fists made contact.  
  
A large, fluffy, snow-colored paw rested upon the anguished soldier’s shoulder. The owner of the appendage sighed, his deep baritone downtrodden.  
  
“Goliath, it is useless.”  
  
“No!” He repeated, continuing to throw a tantrum, peppering the wall with punches even as the larger monster turned around to face his citizens.  
  
Mothers held, comforted, and shielded the eyes of shaking and wailing children, looking up to the furry monster hopefully, pleadingly, and doubtfully. Fathers stood with their small families, many of them adorned in armor or long, hot pink, red, and purple cloaks. Those in the cloaks passed out crackers and water to the traumatized civilians, urging them to relax and eat.  
  
The king sighed.  
  
“My friends. It is time that we, as monsters, accept our defeat by the human enemy. Their numbers and pure strength overwhelmed us, both physically and magically. It is obvious that due to this, we were never any match for them. However, do not lose hope. Though we are trapped down here, there are still enough resources to survive upon, both in our inventories and in this small cave. We will work on setting up living places for each of you post-haste. Have hope, my friends. We can make it.”  
  
His small speech garnered the loss of hope in some monsters and the rise of hope in others, conflicting emotions that caused the citizens to turn to one another and converse. They spoke in hushed murmurs at first, daughters and those who fought the war whimpering in pain, loss, and hopelessness. Those happy with the arrangement embraced their loved ones tenderly, kneeling and sitting in small groups, resigned to their fate. However, the discontent gathering of magical bodies wept and cried out, becoming ever more restless and pained. Their combined wails formed a powerful roar of hollering madness that only increased with each passing minute.  
  
“Citizens,” The king started, his right arm reaching out in a gesture of worry. “Citizens, please calm down. There is nothing to fear.”  
  
His soft voice prevented him from penetrating the seemingly impermeable wall of noise. Looking around desperately, he summoned his shining red trident and-,  
  
“SILENCE!” Followed by the sound of wood sharply hitting stone.  
  
The crowd stilled and turned their attention toward the barrier. The king looked down at the tall, thin monster with widened eyes. He, too, was caught off guard by the creature.  
  
He stood stock still, his oak-colored fur waving in the faint breeze that his fellow monsters added to with each breath. His body was enveloped in a royal indigo silk cloak that rose and fell with his chest. Furry, pink-tinted paws curled into fists, one tightly gripping a large scepter, the other straightened by his side. The scepter emitted large rippling waves of warm, pink magic, all originating from a large red Gem near the top of the wooden base. His summer blue eyes glowed faintly with each pulse of magic, squinted in annoyance and superiority. The monster’s lower jaw was bathed in the color of maple wood and the pattern flowed down to paint his belly and chest under his cloak. A small pointed beard, the same color as his stomach, poked out from his chin. White whiskers and small, rounded ears twitched as gradually, the magic faded.  
  
“You are all acting like children! We have just lost a war, we are not dead! We are together! Be glad you survived and are with your families!” He shouted, his harsh words echoing in the large cavern.  
  
“Well said, Chaya,” A bipedal Hyena stepped up to the elder monster, giving him a gentle pat on the back with a fluffy golden paw before turning to face the crowd. “We have each other. That is all that matters. We must move on from the horrid actions that led us to this point and look forward. We have an entire mountain to use at our leisure! Your majesty,” he turned to the large, lop-eared goat monster and tilted his head upward to meet his soft emerald eyes, war-torn red cape gently flowing behind him with each movement, “do we have search parties prepared to explore the caverns?”  
  
The king looked around before nodding and turning to the crowd.  
  
“I will assemble parties in groups of fifteen. If you wish to join the efforts, please step forward. If not, please step back.”  
  
One third of the creatures stepped backward, the rest moving themselves closer to the king. Many monsters in armor stood in two neat lines, the metal clinking and shuffling in practiced unity as they saluted all at once. Hyena Monsters in cloaks stood side by side, silently surveying the reactions of the other monsters around them. They grinned encouragingly at their fellow magic users, sharp teeth bared in ways that were soothing as opposed to intimidating. Citizens stood behind the two official groups, craning their necks to gaze upon his majesty as he prepared to group the monsters up.  
  
Goliath, who had resigned to sitting defeatedly on the floor of the cave, stood slowly and stalked over to the soldiers, head hanging slightly. Quickly, he fixed his stance, staring down at the lines powerfully through the small eye holes in his helmet. If he was going to do this, he decided, then he was going to look dignified doing it.  
  
“SAAAAALUTE!”  
  
At the yell of the commander, the soldiers adjusted again, the chuff of armor as each one straightened up quick and loud. He stared the lines of monsters down, nodding before turning to look up at the fluffy Goat king.  
  
“We are ready for your assignments, sir!”  
  
As promised, the monsters willing to scout out the area were divvied up into parties, each led by one mage and one soldier. The process took about an hour to complete, but as it finished, the king breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
“Thank you both. I was afraid that mania and loss of hope would spread further if not for your actions.”  
  
“We wouldn’t have had to help had you just raised your voice a bit,” The weasel monster remarked, crossing his arms, rolling his eyes, and turning his back on the monarch, ear twitching.  
  
“Ah-What my friend means to say is that we were honored to be of assistance,” The hyena bowed respectfully before returning his gaze to the king.  
  
“Hm, I see. And what is your name, young mage?”  
  
“I am known as Hatchallah, your graciousness. My family and I hail from the town of Netsu over on the southern sands...At least, we used to.”  
  
“Yes. I heard about the tragic events that took place there. I am truly sorry. May god rest you and your kins’ souls.”  
  
“Unfortunate that he was not there,” Chaya turned, stone faced to the conversing monsters.  
  
Hatchallah chuckled, shaking his head, his black bangs bouncing and waving with his gestures. “Your sense of humor is as impeccable and stale as ever,” he slapped the taller mage’s shoulder, wholeheartedly. “It is very welcome in such times as this. You agree, do you not?” He returned his gaze to the king.  
  
The very large, lop-eared monster, wide-eyed in shock from the crude remark, shook his head and blinked, chuckling warmly. “I do. To be frank, I was not expecting such a dark jape. It certainly made the room brighter.”  
  
Indeed, the tense aura in the room had faded slightly with the weasel’s harsh words.  
  
“Asgore.”  
  
The group turned to face a monster similar in appearance to the king. She had dark, red eyes, her horns were smaller and more rounded, and her stature was just slightly shorter than the king’s. She wore long, purple robes lined with silver and adorned a small, bejeweled tiara upon her fluffy head. She looked at the group with a look befit of a queen, professional and strict, yet soft and welcoming.  
  
“The citizens are growing restless. I will bring them further into the cave to explore,” she said, her bell-like voice holding an air of authority rivaling that of the king’s.  
  
“Not yet, Toriel. We do not yet know the dangers that lurk in this solemn place. There could be feral creatures hiding further in. This is why it is imperative to wait for the return of the scouting groups.”  
  
“This is true, but we must also think of the children. If they do not exercise themselves in some shape or form, they will grow restless.”  
  
Asgore hummed, a hand stroking his beard.  
  
“Well, I suppose-,”  
  
“Your majesty,” Hatchalla gazed up at the king. “I propose that Chaya and I go to scout out the closer expanse of cave. If it is safe, we will return and tell you.”  
  
“Oh, why are you determined to rope me into this?” Chaya whined as he looked upon his fellow mage, an expression of betrayal crossing his features.  
  
The hyena chuckled, looking at the weasel with a warm and playful expression.  
  
“You have little else to do! And besides, we have much to speak about,” he spoke, his patient smile slowly curling into a solemn frown.  
  
“Alright. I will permit your exploration. Please do not do anything that may cause you both harm.”  
  
With a salute, the hyena turned on his heel and began wandering closer to the darker reaches of the cave. He stopped and turned partly to lock eyes with the weasel.  
  
“Well, will you be accompanying me?”  
  
Chaya’s eyes, made thinner by his thick, stern, lowered brows, bore holes into his accomplice’s. Flames flicked and danced uniformly in his pupils, the tension between the mages stagnating at a level high enough to stun a bird mid-flight. The chattering of the citizens slowly faded out, the world dimming and forming a blurred, black frame around the two. The weasel blinked and the sights and sounds of the world returned, his blue orbs rolling and extinguishing with a sigh.  
  
“Fine. But if we perish or some other unfortunate event harms us in any way, it is you who is to blame.”


	2. Discussions in The Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is much shorter than the first, but contains some important character establishment through dialogue!

The caverns were pools of pitch and the mages swam through them like bears lumbering into a dragon’s den. They were silent save for the echoing slaps of their bare feet on the ground and the whispering rustles of their cloaks and Hatchalla’s cape. If it were not for the glow of the hyena’s magic, emanating from his staff, Chaya would have believed that he were walking with his eyelids shut. The only indication of his hesitancy to move forward was the occasional twitch of his tail tip and right ear.

“This mountain is much more extravagant on the outside than in,” he huffed.

“Your complaints are most definitely imperative to this journey,” the hyena remarked, light sarcasm lacing his words.

“Well, what else is there to do? I do not see anything!”

“We can speak about the current state of my-...our family,” Hatchallah looked forward, not bothering to turn to look at Chaya. His eyes veiled his emotions, but appeared to dim.

“The war has drastically decreased our numbers; entire biological families wiped out simply to send us into terror and submission. We have time to mourn, but what after?”

Chaya was silent, listening and pondering.

“Encourage the family to unify and repopulate?”

The hyena stopped, suddenly and turned to the weasel incredulously.

“That is not an option,” He barked, quickly, bearing his teeth.

“I am only thinking rationally. If my idea is so absurd, what do you propose that is better?”

The two began walking again before Hatchallah spoke. 

“We can open the family up to new members.”

“What? But the family is just that, a family! You cannot just-!”

“We took you in, did we not?”

“Yes, but that was different! I was injured and unconscious when the decision came! I could not survive in solitude while others-!”

“Hush now, Chaya.”

“Only members of the hyaenidae family of monsters are allowed in! It is tradition!”

“Again, you are not hyaenidae. Shall I exile you?”

“My circumstances were an exception! You know that very well, Hatcha.”

“So only those lost and incapable of finding their own survival should be accepted? What a cruel way to distinguish between those who are worthy and those who are not.”

“That is not what I intended to-.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say you are frightened about something,” He said, stopping suddenly and pivoting to look at Chaya, his face portraying an expression of stern and curious concern. “What worries you, old friend?”

The sudden halt nearly made the weasel stumble over his large feet paws.

“Is it the changes that are occurring? Traditions can be changed. At this moment, change seems the only way for the family to survive. If I must break tradition to save the organization so close to my and my family’s hearts, I am prepared to do so.”

Chaya stood, silently avoiding the gaze of his companion.

“We...I do not want this...”

“Change can be hard, but sometimes, we must enact it for the common good. Do not worry, my friend. Nothing about this will result in any pain for anybody. Come now. We must press on. There is much ground to cover.”

Chaya simply nodded and the duo continued forward, their pawsteps echoing in the long cavern hallway. 

His nose and whiskers twitched, uncomfortably in the damp air, which only seemed to humidify the further from the survivors they got. The dark was all-encompassing. Each crack of a dislodged rock hitting the path around him sounded like the thwack of a human arrow against a monster shield, the twos’ ears flipping toward the noise, alertly before returning to their positions. They knew it was not an archer’s attack whenever they heard the sudden noises, it would and could never be a human archer’s attack again, they knew, but having experienced the fear and pain of conflict with humans so recently, it was only natural to take pause. That, and it was always useful to be aware of one’s surroundings, they knew. 

Hatcha’s cape flipped ever-so-subtly and their noses, healthy and wet, like any monster that resembled an animal, chilled with an almost unnoticeable breeze. The companions halted and glanced at one-another before picking up their pace. Wind meant an exit, and an exit meant freedom.

“Do you really think-?”

“It is quite unlikely, but it never hurt to investigate.”

A glow radiated from a pinprick of white in the far reaches of the cavern ahead of them. At this, Hatcha’s ears perked, and tail lifted in hope. Chaya’s expression continued to radiate sternly, however, the flame in his gaze revealed he hoped just as much, if not more than his companion. 

The two broke into a brisk jog, bare feet scraping ragged ridges of rock and scattering pebbles in their path. Could it be that their human opponents had been mistaken, or were the monsters the ones who were mislead? Those creatures built of flesh and blood, cartilage and bone, were using mind games and deception against their opponents, weren’t they? They were aware of hope and its effect on monsters and were seeking to starve them of their most essential necessity! Those despicable creatures, slicing into their sides and bleeding them, drop by drop, like chickens to be beheaded, only for pleasure. Caging them like dogs and beating them with pointed rocks until they were reduced to piles of grey, fine, powdery dust. The thought was enough to make him misstep, pausing a moment before regaining his brisk pace.

. . . No . . .

. . . No, even humans were not that cruel . . .

. . . Right? . . .

Even so, they had blatantly botched up their own plan of attack. Failing to seal an entrance? That was a mistake that would never have been made by monsters.

“Foolish are those who thought a feeble wall of magic could imprison such a grand and powerful race! They, themselves, had much to learn from their opponents,” Chaya thought, shaking his head scornfully.

His nose twitched at the scent of damp soil as he and his hyena companion neared the source of the light, its white-gold sheen painful and blinding to behold after trekking through what seemed to be miles of straight, dark cavern. They welcomed the light of the sun with open arms, enjoying its rays and the grass beneath their feet before opening their eyes.

No . . . It can’t be.

Hatcha and Chaya both lost a little of their straight-backed, adrenaline-fueled stances, ears drooping to a slightly disappointed position.

“Well, this space seems large enough for the children and families, for now. Wait here, I will lead them here.”

Chaya simply nodded. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up.

He watched his companion disappear back into the dark before turning his gaze upward, staring longingly at the ceiling of the large cavern, its ragged face torn open and leaving a large hole, through which the light of the sun and blue of the sky filtered, not hindered in the least by the nearly transparent, rippling shield of magic that filled the window to the outside world like the piece of a sinister puzzle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chaya seems worried. What changes will come about?


	3. To Start Anew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hatcha holds a meeting to discuss the state of his society after the barrier's creation. A decision must be made, and conflict avoided.

Hatchallah appeared on the other side of a pair of large, purple doors as they slowly swung open. Ahead of him, a conference table sat, hyena monsters on each side having turned to face the doors as they creaked open. Their jaws, which looked as though they had bared grins only moments before, slowly drooped to appear uncertain and serious.

It had been a few years after the sealing of the monsters, and in that time, the creatures had found the ideal place to settle. In the deepest reaches of the caverns lay an open cave of deep brown rock. As soon as the cavern was found and proven to be the last in the cave-system, the king immediately initiated the building of a new kingdom, there. “Home”, as it had come to be named, was very small, but not to the extent that each monster was crammed together, uncomfortably. Each home and building was built and organized strategically, giving an air of homey comfort that was reflected by the rock walls around them. Though the rocks and surrounding geological structures were normal upon discovery, their pigments had changed under the influence of so many magical auras. The once brown-red surfaces of the walls, pebbles, and boulders faded into a marbled purple whose fluctuating pattern was utilized in creating pathways and buildings.

One large building was gifted to Hatcha and his comrades for their assistance in keeping the peace during the process of relocation. By now, only the bedrooms and the dining hall were finished, but that was all they needed, at the moment.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” Hatcha said, quickly making his way to the head of the table, paws gripping a small stack of papers and eyes meticulously scanning over the one at the top of the pile. “I apologize for not warning any of you sooner, but there were many changes that had to be overseen and made and I simply did not have the time to properly spread the word,” he sat at the large, regal, empty wooden chair and tapped the edge of the stack of files against the table to finish his apology. 

“First, let us address the subject of losses. As we all know, my father failed to escape to the mountain caves with all of us, so we know that at least one mage passed on in the battle for ebbott,” this statement was met with the hanging of heads and a few quiet, ‘may he live on in our souls’ from the conference members. He continued, “I am planning on holding a memorial service for him and the rest of our fallen family. The service will consist of remembering the fallen through the sharing of stories of their lives, followed by some speeches delivered by those affected. This will be completed by unveiling a monument of a large boulder. Engraved into the monument will be the names of those who gave their lives to protecting not just their family, but all monsters in the underground. For this monument to be made, I require the names of those whom you have lost.”

The congregation murmured once more, each listing their lost loved ones almost simultaneously, the names overlapping in a small cacophony. Chaya, who too sat at the head of the table, adjacent to Hatcha, gazed stoically across the small gathering of babbling hyena monsters before turning to his companion, asking an unspoken question with his blank stare. To this, Hatcha nodded, unsheathed the claws in his hand paws, and stood before knocking the backs of the hard keratin appendages against the large, wooden table, producing a sound not unlike that of a gavel. The crowd silenced and returned their attention to him.

“Now, now. I can only take down one monster’s name at a time.”

The hyenas looked across the table at each-other again before one near the head of the table, a large white beard adorning his aged face, turned toward his youthful leader and somberly muttered a name. Nodding, Hatcha glanced at Chaya, who was now leaning over a pad of paper, scribbling quickly.

Each Hyena patiently waited for their time to speak, the weasel’s pen a blur as it scratched syllables onto the lined parchment. When he fell behind, Hatcha held up a paw, instantly silencing his clan and waiting for his friend to catch up. The clan continued to speak only when his appendage lowered back to the table. Alongside his acquaintance’s writing, every name called signaled a mark to be made on a list in front of Hatcha, which he did with the speed and accuracy of a focused accountant.

“Lizanne” check, “Archer” check, “Summer” Check, “Arianna” Check, “Bentiva” Check, “Carter” Check, and on, and on, and on; all names spoken lives lost and destroyed by an oppressive, and unjust massacre. 

By the time the clan had ceased their mournful statements, the list was over one-hundred names strong. Chaya could only stare at the names distantly, his usual sour disposition absent, eyes unfocused. Hatcha had his paws in prayer pose, elbows resting on the wood of the table and muzzle pressed to his thumbs. His eyes were closed in silent mourning, brows pulled up in tragic contemplation. Those close enough to hear him listened solemnly as barely audible breaths puffed into the open air, nostrils flaring subtly with each exhale. his paws shook just slightly, reverberating down his elbows and vibrating the surface upon which they sat. The toes of his foot paws flexed silently. Sharp, shiny, black protrusions revealed themselves at the end of each fluffy, round extremity and receded like tiny buttons, pushed in and out by an immature, naive child.

“Twenty.”

Chaya broke from his silent stupor with a blink, and looked, unmoving, to his accomplice. The mages looked from each other to their monarch, wide-eyed.

“Only twenty mages left,” Hatcha’s hands intertwined and tightened into a ball. His claws unsheathed themselves, again and pressed almost painfully against the back of his paws. His brows pulled together in silent fury as he ground his fangs together in anxiety. Inhaling, he moved to pinch his nasal ridge, and leaned lower onto the tabletop. 

What could he have done? Could he have halted the massacre? Ended the war sooner? Withdrawn from battle? What of a peace treaty; it didn't work then, but would it have worked when war was declared?

“It wouldn’t have ended”, his logical side spoke "would not have stopped. We would have lost inevitably". And though he believed it, he did not want to. It was just too many lives; too many souls; too much blood and dust spilled, all for the loss of a war that decided the fates of the entirety of the world, at large. Massacred without mercy. Women and men; girls and boys; adults and teenagers . . .

children and infants.

He shook his head, sniffed, and sighed before opening his eyes and sitting back up.

“Now that we have taken the names, we must discuss the matter of rebuilding.”

Chaya nodded before turning the page on his pad and smoothing it out, looking back at his companion, alertly.

“I know that it will be difficult to do, but we must move on. Those who have lost partners, I know that your significant others would have wanted you to move on. They will always be in our hearts, but life must continue. My friends, though I am not forcing you, my advisor and I have agreed that it would be wise to,” He paused, attempting to locate the correct words. “take partners.”

Chaya’s grunt of approval was hidden beneath a sudden cacophony. Shouts and protest erupted throughout the crowd, some members speaking louder than others. Complaints were thrown quickly and adamantly without any thought to the full extent of the issue, at hand. 

“I do not want to take a partner!”

“Would you be so kind as to grant us time to mourn, first? Would you grant _yourself_ time to mourn?”

“There are _children_! What of them?”

"Next you will be telling us to mate with King _Asgore_!"

The noise built and built, Chaya growing impatient with the crowd. Gradually, he regained his hardened expression and gripped the table, claws digging into the grain. His teeth bared and ground together as he prepared to silence the rowdy hyenas, once again. He drew a breath.

“ ** _SILENCE_**!”

Muzzles clamped shut, quick as a whip, and eyes widened. Chaya’s head snapped to the side, pupils pinpoints in the whites of his eyes.

Their leader now stood, eyes scanning the crowd, chest heaving, and fangs bared in frustrated fervor. His claws dug dangerously into the hard surface, in front of him and his pupils narrowed to catlike slits. He looked over his people before continuing, patience spent.

“Now is _NOT_ the time for quarrel! Do you comprehend the danger that our society is in? This is not a matter of patience, but one of immediate action! If we cannot solve this situation civilly, our community, and hyena monsters, _as a whole_ , will go extinct!”

He brought his right paw to his face and dragged downward, lower eyelids folding over and revealing the pink flesh beneath. Holding them there for a moment, he traced the grains in the wooden surface beneath his left hand with his gaze. The weasel stood and placed a hand on his companion’s shoulder, expression remaining as unsympathetic as before. However, after a few moments of his paw rubbing circles into the king’s shoulders, and despite his outward appearance, the monarch seemed to regain his composure.

“I understand your hesitance. It does not feel right to simply move on without a resting period, but we have no choice. Had we more members, such a method of rebuilding would not be on the table. However, here we are, having lost more members than we have gained in the past few months,” he looked over the congregation, silently.

A hand went up and the monarch nodded toward it, acknowledging the conference member’s ability to speak. She stood, hesitantly and looked around, eyeing her companions before composing herself and taking a breath.

“There must be _some_ other way, your majesty! While I am willing to take up the cause, I have my worries about those who elect not to. Who is to say that they will stay, knowing that their family is enforcing a law requiring them to choose a new partner?”

The ruler hesitated, “That is . . . A good query. There is no guarantee that mages will wish to break from the family - and I will not stop them - however, we have little other choice.”

“Perhaps we may open the family to new members?” The female suggested.

Many of the hyenas’ gazes snapped from her, to their monarch in abstract horror. A change in tradition is not something that often occurred in the family. These changes often required heavy adjustment and increased negotiations to properly work, and though the mages possessed the time necessary to partake in said events, patience and tension was at an all-time high. It was likely all that would occur by initiating such radical changes would be an increase in stress, in-fighting, and members deciding to abandon their cause.

But, if done correctly . . .

Chaya squinted at Hatcha’s contemplative expression in distaste, “You are not seriously considering this again, _surely_? Have I not explained to you the full extent of the dangers?”

“Chaya, do you not remember our conversation on our scouting mission?”

The weasel bristled, but without any argument, slowly sat back down.

Others at the table gazed at their monarch, inquisitively. Some appeared betrayed by the very notion of change, while others simply and silently begged for said change not to occur. A very small amount seemed to light up at the idea of opening the family up to diversity and proudly nodded at the king. He paid no mind to the expressions on the council members’ faces as slowly, he smiled, softly.

“My friends, we may not have to be forced into betrothals, after all.”

An elderly council member at the opposing end of the table stood suddenly, incredulously slapping the table in frustration, “You cannot be serious! This is the family - _our_ family - we cannot just accept new members! Even _if_ we agree to this ridiculous proposition, how would we distinguish between an eligible candidate, and one unfit for our community?”

Another hyena, the female from before stood and replied, “There will be a way! Hatchalla has a plan,” she turned her head to gaze upon the monarch, “you _do_ have a plan, yes?”

“Of course.”

“How can you so blindly trust him, especially after he has agreed to your improbable idea? This decision may end in the destruction of our family, or _worse_!” Another councilman shouted.

“If there is a screening process, there will be no destruction,” the monarch’s nose twitched, excitedly.

“You have no proof that this screening process of yours will even _work_! Monsters could very easily impersonate another in order to tear us apart! What will our situation be, then?”

“I assure you that your worries are very reasonable, but no matter what monsters join, our community will still be thriving better than how it is, now. New members are also advantageous to our cause through their ability to protect themselves! Take a moment to ponder about this, my friends. More magic users and widespread knowledge of defense and battle tactics allow for citizens to protect themselves! Very little of them will remain defenseless, and those that do will be able to rely on a larger, stronger magical community’s presence! There is a greater benefit to accepting outsiders than there is to keep them out.”

The congregation fell silent and still. Older members gazed at one-another, debating through looks and expressions alone. Occasionally one’s ears would twitch, but the flames blazing between them refused to extinguish. Despite the warring councilmen, the outspoken female smiled, softly as she turned toward her leader. Her blonde locks bounced slightly as she nodded in approval.

Hatchalla couldn’t help but nod back, in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's this female hyena and how will this plan play out, I wonder.
> 
> These chapters have been coming out pretty quickly due to the fact that they were written prior to my publication of this story. The next chapter is still being written and I will do my best to get it out so that the story may continue, soon.

**Author's Note:**

> It seems that our friends are on a mission. I wonder what they will find.


End file.
